The invention relates to an interface device between a storage medium for multimedia contents and a television standard video port.
Semiconductor storage media for multimedia contents are increasingly gaining ground. One example is memory cards for digital image data recorded by digital cameras. The rapid advances achieved in semiconductor storage technology render it possible to also store video contents on semiconductor storage modules. Depending on the purpose of use and on the manufacturer, turer, there exist different standards for semiconductor storage modules, which differ in regard to the outer form and also in regard to the data format and contact assignment. Therefore, adapters are required for an access to the stored data. Such adapters usually present an interface with a data processing apparatus of the PC standard. Accordingly, multimedia contents stored on semiconductor storage modules can be accessed only in a PC environment.
The invention makes it possible for multimedia contents stored on semiconductor storage media to be accessible also in a usual video environment, in particular in a television environment. This is achieved by an interface device comprising the following components:
(a) at least one PCMCIA slot;
(b) at least one card reader in a PCMCIA card format;
(c) a video graphics control unit;
(d) a video overlay interface between the PCMCIA slot and the graphics control unit;
(e) a RAM memory allocated to the video graphics control unit;
(f) a digital-to-analog encoder between an output of the video graphics control unit and the television standard video port. The card reader is configured for the particular data format of the storage medium. The data read out of the storage medium is transferred to the video overlay interface in a data format suitable for the latter.
A widely used video interface is that of the SCART type. It is found both on television sets and on video recording and reproduction apparatus. The interface device in accordance with the invention permits a direct use of common television and video apparatus for the reproduction of multimedia contents stored on semiconductor storage media. The adaptation to the different form factors and data formats of the commonly used semiconductor storage media is performed by means of the card reader which for its part is configured as a PCMCIA card. The data edited by the card reader and passed on to the video overlay interface has the data format expected by this interface, regardless of the type of the particular semiconductor storage medium, with the result that semiconductor storage media of any type and format can be read out without any change in the interface device. Future developments are also taken into account since it is merely the card reader which has to meet the requirements of a new type of medium.
A big advantage of a multimedia system comprising the interface device according to the invention is the inherent copy protection. The data stored in the semiconductor storage medium is decoded in the card reader, in particular expanded, and is not accessible from outside. The analog video signal available at the standard video port is unusable for copying purposes since a distribution makes sense only in the usual encoded data formats.